The kernel of Mrs. Moran’s idea came from a NY Times article on student desk design, and from a desire to engage her students in real-world problem solving and career skills.
Process :
1. Students brainstormed problems they observed with designs of their lockers, classrooms, cafeteria tables, building and campus.
2. Students conducted quantitative and qualitative research to learn more about design concepts, students’ and teachers’ needs and district policies.
3. Students planned solutions to each of the problems they had brainstormed and researched, designing and building 3D models to represent their solutions.
4. Students wrote and rehearsed their pitches, focusing on what inspired their solutions, and how these solutions would work to solve the problems they listed.
